The six-room Villa D’ Citta is a cozy, romantic bed-and-breakfast located in residential Lincoln Park. Its few features are all charming: an outdoor whirlpool and sun deck, a brick courtyard with a barbecue, and a large communal kitchen. The bright, luxurious rooms have big flat-screen TVs and hardwood floors, but they lack iPod docks and safes, and two of them share a bathroom.

For a Days Inn, this 133-room hotel has a lot of history: It used to be known as the Rock and Roll Days Inn, and had many famous bands and musicians coming through. It offers solid freebies -- Wi-Fi, breakfast, fitness center passes, and on-site fitness center access -- and the rooms are clean and comfortable (if a little basic -- which is to be expected for the price). But the Lincoln Park location is far from most tourist sights.

The 55-room Willows Hotel is a solid value pick in a historic building on the northern edge of Lincoln Park. It's far from Chicago's main tourist sites, but there are plenty of restaurants, shops and bars half a block from the hotel. The property lacks features like a restaurant, business center, or on-site fitness center, but offers guests some nice freebies, including coffee and tea, continental breakfast, access to a local gym, and Wi-Fi. Some rooms are tiny (especially the 121-square-foot Small Queen Room), but they all come with 42-inch flat-screen TVs, bathrobes and minibars.